UnitedHealth Group Incorporated $UNH Shares Sold by Candriam S.C.A.

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its UnitedHealth Group stake by 2.6% in Q1, selling 6,226 shares and ending with 232,839 shares valued at about $63.0 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly bullish: several analysts raised price targets, and the stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average target price of $417.38.
• UnitedHealth beat its latest quarterly estimates, posted revenue growth, and recently raised its dividend to $2.32 per share quarterly, signaling continued financial strength.

Candriam S.C.A. reduced its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH - Free Report) by 2.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 232,839 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock after selling 6,226 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $63,004,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,376,167,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 141.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,109,029 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock valued at $1,356,432,000 after purchasing an additional 2,410,128 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 864.4% during the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,523,700 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $833,099,000 after purchasing an additional 2,262,006 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 87.5% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 3,916,041 shares of the healthcare conglomerate's stock worth $1,294,367,000 after buying an additional 1,826,948 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lone Pine Capital LLC bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at $528,273,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UNH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $410.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $463.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Argus upgraded UnitedHealth Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $340.00 to $373.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $417.38.

More UnitedHealth Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on UnitedHealth Group to $463 from $400 and kept an outperform rating, signaling continued upside potential ahead of earnings. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: UnitedHealthcare launched a Lifestyle Spending Account benefit through UHC Store, which could make UNH more attractive to employers by adding flexible wellness benefits and simplifying administration. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlight bullish setup momentum into the company’s July 16 earnings report, with investors expecting earnings and guidance to remain important catalysts. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: UnitedHealth’s home health program HouseCall was reported to be associated with fewer inpatient stays and ER visits, which is a positive operational sign but not an immediate market-moving event. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary also noted that UnitedHealth has delivered strong cash returns to shareholders over time, but some analysts are questioning whether the stock is now fully valued after its sharp recovery. Article
• Negative Sentiment: The broader healthcare sector was one of the weakest parts of the market today, and UNH was specifically cited as a drag on the Dow, which can weigh on the stock even if company-specific news is favorable. Article

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $425.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $386.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.62. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $234.60 and a 1-year high of $434.30. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $399.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $338.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The healthcare conglomerate reported $7.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $111.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $109.84 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 14.65% and a net margin of 2.68%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $7.20 EPS. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.250- EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 18.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $2.32 per share. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Group's previous quarterly dividend of $2.21. UnitedHealth Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 70.09%.

Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other news, CEO Patrick Hugh Conway sold 800 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $284,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 17,805 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,320,775. This trade represents a 4.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Inc is a diversified health care company headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that operates two primary business platforms: UnitedHealthcare and Optum. Founded in 1977, the company provides a broad range of health benefits and health care services to individuals, employers, governmental entities and other organizations. Its operations span commercial employer-sponsored plans, individual and Medicare and Medicaid programs, and services for customers and health systems in the United States and selected international markets.

UnitedHealthcare is the company's benefits business, administering health plans and networks, managing provider relationships, and offering coverage products for employers, individuals, and government-sponsored programs.

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